In the past, a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) has been used as the imaging element of a digital camera and/or the like. The dynamic range of this kind of imaging element is narrow compared to the naked eye and silver halide film. Consequently, when a subject with stark differences in brightness is photographed with a conventional digital camera and/or the like, the problem arose that the background became white or the subject was completely black.
In order to resolve this problem, technology for obtaining high-dynamic-range (HDR) images is being developed. This technology can obtain a high-dynamic-range image by synthesizing a bright image shot with a long exposure time and a dark image shot with a short exposure time.
Recently, this technology is also being applied to video creation. For example, in Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. 2007-274285, an invention is disclosed in which high-dynamic-range video is obtained using a light-reduction device that causes the intensity of light reaching the imaging element to periodically change.
However, with the above-described technology, not only is the special mechanism of a light-reduction device necessary, but when the view angle changes during capture or when the subject moves, synthesis blurring occurs, creating the problem that it is difficult to obtain high-quality high-dynamic-range video.
Consequently, technology is being sought that can create high-quality high-dynamic-range video even when the capture view angle changes or the subject moves, without providing a special mechanism.